Carbon emissions in China's urban agglomerations: spatio-temporal patterns, regional inequalities, and driving forces

Urban agglomerations are the centers of carbon emissions. However, research on sector-specific carbon emissions in different urban agglomerations is still limited. Drawing on the data of China's six urban agglomerations in 2005, 2010, and 2015, this study investigates the spatio-temporal patterns, regional inequalities, and driving forces of total, industrial, transportation, and residential carbon emissions. The study found that Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei was the total and sectoral emission center among the studied urban agglomerations. Additionally, regional carbon inequalities gradually decreased, implying a growing regional synergistic carbon pattern. The driving forces of carbon emissions, including population, GDP, energy intensity, secondary industry, tertiary industry, foreign investment, urbanization, and green coverage, varied across sectors and regions. Notably, foreign investment could lead to lower carbon emissions in less developed agglomerations like Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, the Central Plains, and the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, whereas more developed agglomerations like the Yangtze River Delta and the Pearl River Delta benefited less from foreign investment. Besides, ChengYu has good ecological conditions and sustainable development modes, which linked urbanization and green space to reduced carbon emissions in the industrial sector. The findings can help formulate differentiated carbon policy and support sustainable development.

Employment Factors Associated With Long Working Hours in France

The objectives of the study were to explore the employment factors associated with long working hours, known as a risk factor for various health outcomes. The study relied on the national representative data of the 2013 French working conditions survey and a study sample of 23,378 full-time employees. Long working hours were defined by the threshold of 48 hours a week following the European Working Time Directive. The prevalence of long working hours was higher among men (13.5%) than among women (8.5%). Employees of the private sector, with permanent work contract, in small companies, and men in the services had a higher prevalence of exposure. This prevalence increased with educational and occupational levels. Our findings may help decision-makers to define preventive strategies. More research is needed to improve our knowledge of the employment factors associated with long working hours, as there may be strong differences between countries.

School Influences on Adolescent Depression: A 6-Year Longitudinal Study Amongst Catholic, Government and Independent Schools, in Victoria, Australia

This study examined associations between school sector (Government, Catholic or Independent) and depressive symptomology over the secondary school years. Six waves of data collected annually from a representative Australian sample were examined. Multilevel piecewise linear and logistic regression controlling for a variety of demographic variables and protective factors was undertaken. In all sectors, depressive symptomology decreased between 10 and 13 years of age, but significantly increased for girls at age 13. Adolescents in Catholic schools reported significantly fewer symptoms of depression compared to those in Government and Independent schools. Adolescents in Catholic schools were less likely to report clinical levels of depressed mood compared to adolescents in Government schools.

The embodied CO2 transfer across sectors of cities in Jing-Jin-Ji region: combining multi-regional input-output analysis with complex network analysis

The CO2 emission transfer at city level, especially across sectors of cities, has not yet been sufficiently quantified. This paper analyzes the embodied CO2 transfer across sectors of 13 cities in Jing-Jin-Ji region (Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei in China) combining multi-regional input-output analysis with complex network analysis. The results show that (1) most embodied CO2 transfers are concentrated in a few sectors and emission reduction effects on these sectors can be quickly extended to the entire embodied CO2 transfer network (ECTN). (2) The electricity and hot water production and supply sector in Beijing have the most embodied CO2 export partners and the strongest control over embodied CO2 transfer. The construction sector in Beijing has the most embodied CO2 import partners and greatest influence on the ECTN. (3) At city level, 90% of embodied CO2 transfers occur within the city, and the general direction of embodied CO2 transfer across cities is from resource-rich cities, Tangshan and Handan, to developed cities, Beijing and Tianjin. At sector level, the largest embodied CO2 transfer path is electricity and hot water production and supply → metallurgy → construction sector. (4) Embodied CO2 transfers of sectors in the same or adjacent cities are denser. Collection of sectors in Beijing and Tianjin is the densest embodied CO2 transfer community.

Structural evolution of China's intersectoral embodied carbon emission flow network

Mount of embodied carbon emissions flow along industrial chains and form a complex network. In order to reveal the structure and evolution characteristics of embodied carbon emission flow network among China's industrial sectors, this study applies a complex network theory to construct six embodied carbon emission flow networks with 30 sectors on the basis of China's input-output tables from 2002 to 2015. Through the analysis of complex network technology indicators, the overall structural characteristics of the network, the key sectors, and the key flow paths are analyzed. Main results show that six embodied carbon emission flow networks all have the small-world characteristics; there is an industrial cluster phenomenon in the network. During the study period, construction, manufacturing, and service-related industry community are the absorption sites for embodied carbon emissions. Coal- and petroleum-related industry communities are the divergent sites for embodied carbon emissions; moreover, electric and heat power and fuel processing are the important "suppliers" of embodied carbon emissions; construction and other service are the important "consumers" of embodied carbon emissions. Non-metallic products are the important "transmitters" of embodied carbon emissions. Metal smelting and chemical industry are at the core of the network because of their high weighted degree and betweenness centrality. The central effect of key sectors continues to increase over time; furthermore, the distribution of embodied carbon emission flows in the six networks all have long-tail characteristics, and this characteristic became more prominent over time. There are key edge-weights in the networks. About 11 to 15% of the edges carry 80% of the embodied carbon emissions. Further based on edge-weight analysis, this study identifies the key paths of embodied carbon emission flow in the six networks, and most key paths pass through construction. Thus, such key sectors and key flow paths should receive more attention when making carbon emission reduction policies.

Research on China's embodied carbon transfer network in 2012 from the perspective of provinces and sectors

Resource endowment and economic development of different provinces in China vary greatly, resulting in large amount of CO₂ transfers. We need further exploration to help decision makers allocate emission responsibilities reasonably. We construct China's embodied CO₂ transfer network (CTN) in 2012 from the perspective of provinces and sectors based on multi-regional input-output (MRIO) model and complex network analysis. The key CO₂ transfer nodes and paths, final demand decomposition, topological structure, clustering characteristics, and influencing factors are analyzed. The results show that the average CO₂ transfer length from one province (sector) to another is only 1.323 (1.584). The top three net CO₂ importers (45.39% of the total), located in developed eastern coastal area, mainly import CO₂ from energy-rich but underdeveloped provinces such as Heilongjiang. It presents a CO₂ transfer pattern from north to south and from west to east. CO₂ transfer in energy industry is mainly driven by urban household consumption. Non-adjacent provinces with distance greater than 750 km have no significant spillover effect and difference in technology level has the greatest impact on CTN. This work is important for differentiating the roles of provinces and sectors in CTN, guiding the allocation of carbon credits and controlling total CO₂ emissions.

Social ecological correlates of workplace sedentary behavior

Background

To identify social ecological correlates of objectively measured workplace sedentary behavior.

Methods

Participants from 24 worksites - across academic, industrial, and government sectors - wore an activPAL-micro accelerometer for 7-days (Jan-Nov 2016). Work time was segmented using daily logs. Sedentary behavior outcomes included time spent sitting, standing, in light intensity physical activity (LPA, stepping cadence <100 steps/min), and in prolonged sitting bouts (>30 min). Outcomes were standardized to an 8 h work day. Two electronic surveys were completed to derive individual (job type and work engagement), cultural (lunch away from the desk, walking at lunch and face-to-face interaction), physical (personal printer and office type) and organizational (sector) factors. Mixed-model analyses with worksite-level clustering were performed to examine multi-level associations. Secondary analyses examined job type and sector as moderators of these associations. All models were adjusted for age, race/ethnicity and gender.

Results

Participants (N = 478; 72% female; age: 45.0 ± 11.3 years; 77.8% non-Hispanic white) wore the activPAL-micro for 90.2 ± 15.5% of the reported workday. Walking at lunch was positively associated with LPA (5.0 ± 0.5 min/8 h, P < 0.001). Regular face-to-face interaction was negatively associated with prolonged sitting (−11.3 ± 4.8 min/8 h, P < 0.05). Individuals in private offices sat more (20.1 ± 9.1 min/8 h, P < 0.05), stood less (−21.5 ± 8.8 min/8 h, P < 0.05), and engaged in more prolonged sitting (40.9 ± 11.2 min/8 h, P < 0.001) than those in public office space. These associations were further modified by job type and sector.

Conclusions

Work-specific individual, cultural, physical and organizational factors are associated with workplace sedentary behavior. Associations vary by job type and sector and should be considered in the design of workplace interventions to reduce sedentary behavior.

Trial registration

Clinical trial No. NCT02566317; Registered Sept 22nd 2015.

A Polyakov Formula for Sectors

We consider finite area convex Euclidean circular sectors. We prove a variational Polyakov formula which shows how the zeta-regularized determinant of the Laplacian varies with respect to the opening angle. Varying the angle corresponds to a conformal deformation in the direction of a conformal factor with a logarithmic singularity at the origin. We compute explicitly all the contributions to this formula coming from the different parts of the sector. In the process, we obtain an explicit expression for the heat kernel on an infinite area sector using Carslaw-Sommerfeld's heat kernel. We also compute the zeta-regularized determinant of rectangular domains of unit area and prove that it is uniquely maximized by the square.

Sectoral Economies, Economic Contexts, and Attitudes toward Immigration

Do economic considerations shape attitudes toward immigration? In this article, we consider the relationship between economic interests and immigration preferences by examining how developments in individuals' sectors of employment affect these views. Using survey data across European countries from 2002 to 2009 and employing new measures of industry-level exposure to immigration, we find that sectoral economies shape opinions about immigration. Individuals employed in growing sectors are more likely to support immigration than are those employed in shrinking sectors. Moreover, the economic context matters: Making use of the exogenous shock to national economies represented by the 2008 financial crisis, we show that sector-level inflows of immigrant workers have little effect on preferences when economies are expanding, but that they dampen support for immigration when economic conditions deteriorate and confidence in the economy declines. These sectoral effects remain even when controlling for natives' views about the impact of immigration on the national economy and culture. When evaluating immigration policy, individuals thus appear to take into account whether their sector of employment benefits economically from immigration.